Fredericton emergency shelter expected to open 'soon,' but location still unknown

The cold weather has officially arrived, but an out-of-the-cold shelter has yet to open in Fredericton.

Joan Kingston, chair of the Fredericton Community Action Group on Homelessness, said she is optimistic an announcement of the shelter's location this year will be made "very soon."

"I expect it's days rather than weeks."

A spokesperson with the Department of Social Development said in an email there would be something to announce in the very near future. 

"In the meantime, we will continue to work with our clients and to provide them services, such as housing and emergency shelter, on a case-by-case basis. That is the case with our agreement with St. Paul's United Church. They have agreed to operate a warming centre until we are able to announce our longer-term solution," the email said.

Kingston said the group and its community partners, as well as the Department of Social Development, have been working together since August to find a location for the emergency shelter.

The former Anglican Church bishop's house on Brunswick Street was used last year, but when the group  applied for an extension of the funding and zoning last spring, the city's planning advisory committee indicated it didn't want the house used again this year, Kingston said. 

As far as she is aware, the bishop's house was not an option that was not pursued seriously this year, she said.

Kingston said a downtown location is ideal for connecting users of the shelter with other services they might need.

"One of the things that we found with out-of-the-cold last year, and one of the goals that we had even starting and that we were able to achieve, was to help, to have people become engaged in finding solutions to some of the barriers that they faced and in connecting them with services in the community," Kingston said.

She said it has been difficult to find a location this year, but it needs to be close to services such as the downtown community health centre.

As of last April, 50 people who were using the out-of-the-cold shelter and other shelters had been placed in affordable housing.

Estimates based on the experience last winter are that 20 to 30 people a night will need shelter from the cold this winter. 

Kingston said the group is still working on organizing volunteers to staff the shelter each evening.

"Last year, there were well over 200 individuals in Fredericton that volunteered," she said.

Kingston also expects whatever building is selected will need "minor renovations," and supplies such as mattresses and bedding will have to be procured. Last year, 20 mattresses were donated to the shelter.

"This year we don't have that source identified yet, so there will be some need to purchase or have someone step up to say we want to donate those kinds of things to the house."

Kingston said one of the community partners involved in ending homelessness in the city will likely have to purchase a house or property to create long-term housing solutions.

She doesn't know when or how that purchase can be made but expects it will involve some kind of financial collaboration among community partners and Social Development.